scotslad60
01-14-2008, 06:40 AM
By MATTHEW LEE, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration will notify Congress on Monday of its intent to sell $20 billion in weapons, including precision-guided bombs, to Saudi Arabia, moving up the announcement to coincide with the president's arrival in Riyadh, The Associated Press has learned.
Despite concern about the deal from some lawmakers, the State Department, which last month said it would delay the notification until after Congress comes back into session, will announce the proposed sale on Jan. 14, a day before the House returns to work and more than a week before senators return to Washington, said a senior official.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations on the matter.
The official said the new timing was "appropriate" and "symbolic" as it would come within hours of Bush's arrival in Saudi Arabia, the penultimate stop on his current Middle East trip. Air Force One is scheduled to land in Riyadh on Monday after a stop in Dubai.
The official announcement will kick off a 30-day review period during which lawmakers could move to block the sale.
If this goes ahead, I'm betting that not one single American will benefit from one single cent of this money. More than that, I'm betting that some of these arms will 'somehow' find their way into the hands of insurgents and terrorists hell bent on ending American lives and causing maximum death and destruction.
What was that about a war on terror???
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration will notify Congress on Monday of its intent to sell $20 billion in weapons, including precision-guided bombs, to Saudi Arabia, moving up the announcement to coincide with the president's arrival in Riyadh, The Associated Press has learned.
Despite concern about the deal from some lawmakers, the State Department, which last month said it would delay the notification until after Congress comes back into session, will announce the proposed sale on Jan. 14, a day before the House returns to work and more than a week before senators return to Washington, said a senior official.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations on the matter.
The official said the new timing was "appropriate" and "symbolic" as it would come within hours of Bush's arrival in Saudi Arabia, the penultimate stop on his current Middle East trip. Air Force One is scheduled to land in Riyadh on Monday after a stop in Dubai.
The official announcement will kick off a 30-day review period during which lawmakers could move to block the sale.
If this goes ahead, I'm betting that not one single American will benefit from one single cent of this money. More than that, I'm betting that some of these arms will 'somehow' find their way into the hands of insurgents and terrorists hell bent on ending American lives and causing maximum death and destruction.
What was that about a war on terror???